Charlie Chaplin statue in Leicester Square

Place: Leicester Square, West End, London.
Date: Monday May 26, 2008.
Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ3.

The weather last weekend was rather diabolical, even by London standards, although I'm not sure why I was so surprised: it was a Bank Holiday weekend after all.

On the Monday we headed into the West End, primarily to see a photographic exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, but later to see the new Indiana Jones film at the Odeon in Leicester Square. I may not believe in hell, but if I did it would have the look and feel of Leicester Square on a busy weekend: I loathe the place. But on Monday, with all the rain barelling down (the equivalent of a month's worth of rain in a day, if the news reports are to be believed), the area, normally bumper to bumper with dozy, go-slow tourists, was relatively empty. In between showers we were able to wander around and fully explore the green square and it is here we came upon this little statue of Charlie Chaplin.

The inscription beneath the statue reads "The comic genius who gave pleasure to so many". Altogether now, say "aaahhhh".

Comments

[Mr D]

My mum's early career was in posh hotels. She met CC and his wife a couple of times and chatted to them after hours in the bar. She said he was nice, but also a very sad old man.

[Melody]

What? You two hate tourists? No. Get out of town. *heehee*

I was looking at a photo yesterday of Monet and in the background was that CC statue. And then I read this post. How as the IJ movie btw?

[kimbofo]

Mr D, that's a great story. I forget that there are still people around who knew him personally; I always feel like he's very much removed from any living person, but he did die in 1977 (I had to look that up on wikipedia!!) so it's not surprising, right? I always think he's kind of creepy -- those early silent films are definitely not my thing, but I can appreciate how special they were at the time.

Melody, you braved Leicester Square?? Funny that you took a photo of this statue too! I'm going to write a separate post on Indiana Jones, so stay tuned.

[Mr D]

She says that one time he was very sad because one of his sons had just been arrested down in London for stealing coins out of a fountain. Or something like that. (Must have been the rebellious youth movement of the Sixties!)

My mum worked in hotel management, and one hotel in the Dales had lots of famous people staying, as they didn't tell the press who was there. Because she was in management, my mum could sit and chat to guests in the bar after hours. Others included Louis Armstrong and his wife, and lots of other famous Brits.

So that clearly makes me a friend of the stars by association. ;-)